title: Vitamin D and cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women: how to translate preclinical evidence into benefit for patients.
abstract: Preclinical work indicates that calcitriol restores vascular function by normalizing the endothelial expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and thromboxane-prostanoid receptors in conditions of estrogen deficiency and thus prevents the thromboxane-prostanoid receptor activation-induced inhibition of nitric oxide synthase. Since endothelial dysfunction is a key factor in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, this finding may have an important translational impact. It provides a clear rationale to use endothelial function in clinical trials aiming to find the optimal dose of vitamin D for the prevention of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal-Potsdam, Germany. hocher@uni-potsdam.de
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hocher
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reichetzeder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply*; D017482:Receptors, Thromboxane / Q000378:metabolism*; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D017482:Receptors, Thromboxane; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C489691:Ptgs2 protein, rat; D002117:Calcitriol